Thursday, March 30, 2017

I've been feeling a bit blah lately, what with my room resembling a sterile hospital ward as I prepare to move house at the end of this month.A bright, poppy colourful outfit was just what the doctor ordered, and as soon as I put this jacket on I instantly felt better. Camouflaged amongst the vibrant patterns of the jacket are a few pins picked up from my brother, Melbourne artist Minna Gilligan and Toronto-based artist Ginette Lapalme.The jacket is pretty lightweight and so outrageous and loud I'm confident you'd be able to easily spot me walking down the street. At this point I've given up hope that the weather will get cooler anytime soon and instead am using the last of this warm weather as a chance to show off my legs in these well worn Levi's denim cut-offs.

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

When I moved to Winton at the start of last year, I rode off any hope of seeing live music. Well in 2017, guess whose going to Triple J's One Night Stand in Mt Isa with her main squeeze? Me! I can't wait to spend five hours on the road, explore a new town and finally get to go to one of Australia's biggest one day festivals played in a rural area. There's only one month to go until the mayhem begin and I can't wait to see the festival style!

Monday, March 27, 2017

I pulled this outfit together the night before, way past my bed time and I was so excited to wear it I took these photos early the next morning- which is why I have chronic-tired face. Despite the amount of grey I feel like with the boots it's a pretty happy outfit that is a little more chic than what you'd expect from me. I guess you should know by now to expect the unexpected, case in point my shirt. I know H&M are an evil, unethical brand who have time and time again stolen designs from freelance artists and other designers but the top was another item given to me by my mum and truth be told it's become a staple. It's the perfect top to throw on after having a shower, it's ultra lightweight and I don't need to think about what I'm wearing after the shirt goes on. I simply can't bring myself to donate it to a charity shop for those sentimental reasons and I'm having a grey moment. Again, aother vain attempt to trick myself into believing cold weather is coming soon.

Sunday, March 26, 2017

I think the first time I head of Vestiare Collective was during a social media campaign or possibly blog post written by my fashion muse, Susana Lau of Style Bubble. I've been a member with Vestiare Collective since December 2014 but up until recently I had never made a purchase, content to simply window shop and see the range of product they had available.Don't get me wrong, I had always wanted to make a purchase with them, but as the prices are listed in USD and given the Australian dollar has been weak for years now it wasn't a cost effective decision.

Enter the Shrimps trousers:

The likes of which I had never seen on eBay and featuring hand drawn illustrations by Shrimps designer Hannah Weiland printed on silk and mine for a song. With currency conversion I would pay $80, and yet for some reason I was not convined. Like all of us I left the item in my cart and decided to sit on it.To sweeten the deal, as my item waited patiently in my cart I was offered a code for free shipping, urging me to make that first purchase and I did. In doing so I saved $40 on shipping and felt pretty good about it to. From there the seller sends the item off to be checked for its authenticity, they say the process takes 3 days and then they mail you your item. Easy Right?Vestiare Collective's is big on authenticity. Which makes sense given that people sell Fendi, Chanel, YSL... just about every fashion house and designer you can think of with a lot of chance for potential sellers to take advantage of this site. Mysterious experts check an item, aseessing its quality so customers have peace of mind they're getting the real deal. Well that's when the headache started.Two and a half weeks after I had purchased the item, after sitting in their quality control centre for God knows how long, I get this message:"During quality control, the item was flagged as ineligible for shipment
outside of Europe due to international shipping restrictions. If sent,
it is highly likely that this item will be confiscated and destroyed by
customs."

What the hell? It's not like the trousers are made of actual shrimp guys! Shrimps is just the name on the label!I was then asked if I could supply a shipping address within Europe except Switzerland and Norway. Some of their clients would be able to afford getting their item redirected or perhaps sent to their apartment overseas but do I sit in that category? Absolutely not! So I've asked for a refund, given that their holding my silk pajama pants hostage in France.It is very disappointing, at the end of this month I'll be leaving a steady paying job, working as a casual and won't have much money to buy on expensive luxury items. Let's just say lessoned learn, living in Australia I'm probably never going to receive anything I buy from the site, and I'm far bettter off just sticking to eBay and Etsy. If anyone has tried The Real Real or Tradesy I'd love to hear how your retail experience was as mine with VC happened to be for lack of a better word, horrible.

Perhaps I'll one day regret publishing this, but in an age where everyone is their own media brand and the consumer has so much power I don't think it comes as a big surprise when upon failing to deliver a product or service a company gets a n honest and very vocal review.

Friday, March 24, 2017

This Try-day Friday ( a campaign byDia&Co.) a I'm debuting something very special- this amazing wool stole by Acne Studios (the first time someone's been happy to receive acne!) All jokes aside the graphic pieces from this designer are usually at the top of my wish list, but my poor moth ridden wallet simply can't cope. This was a spur of the moment purchase made on eBay, which will be the death of me but I love the raw edges and how many different ways I can wear this piece. It also made me want to stitch this tiny wooden bead of a tiger onto my lapel as a pin (and I'm 98% I managed to pull this look off). I'm still not loving the warm weather and the sweat mustaches I have been rocking at work but otherwise everything is coming along nicely. Temperatures are slowly starting to dip and hopefully I will once again by wrapped up in layers, cuddled up in bed on those cold mornings and creating mad but wonderful outfits. I'm envisioning beanies worn with this lovely wool wrap and disguising bad hair days with outrageous headwear.

Thursday, March 23, 2017

The benefits of women hanging out, and exercising together in a group is obvious. There's a gentle peer pressure that helps guide you- on a Sunday afternoon you could decide to kick your feet up and binge on Netflix.But if you had already made plans to see girlfriends, you'll inevitably walk out the door and by the end of whatever activity you'll feel so much better for it. I've always wanted to be a skater, as a kid I loved the aesthetic but the sense of being tough and doing something which requires so much skill. The amount of bruises I collected when snowboarding taught me that lesson well, and now at age 23 I feel like it's not too late to get out there, have a go and enjoy the outdoors. That journey seems so much more magical through the lens of a film-maker like Olivia Wilde who directed the Red Hot Chili Peppers video clip to 'Dark Necessities'. That track was like cocaine to me last year, I listened to it on repeat, semi-religiously and the thing that really drew me in was not the music so much as the girls. They laughed together and nursed their wounds and in doing so formed a sisterhood of bad ass women who above all were confident in their own bodies and abilities.

Natalie Westling, the face of Vans and red-haired maven with a love for skating also oozes the same confidence and whose existence is a general middle finger to the patriarchy. If you yourself are interested in skating, or better yet want to get a group of girlfriends together to try the activity Kick Push Skate have some great gear. They've also got a whole section in their online shop dedicated to women's march so be sure to check that out too.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Wearing: Verner silk top and thrifted corduroy pants.Hello, is that winter on the line?Are you on your way or just taking your sweet time, leaving me in a pool of my own sweat?It's become the never-ending joke on my blog, when will summer end and when will I be able to (comfortably) start wearing layers? Some patchy rain has delivered cooler weather and with that the chance to wear proper trousers. These beauts were bought at an op shop and for a while I thought they couldn't be worn with anything in my wardrobe. Wrong! They beautifully match, in a very off-kilter fashion this silk printed jumper by Verner. The print is somewhat reminiscent of those amazing costumes from Tame Impala's video clip "The less I know the better" directed by the Spain-based collective CANADA. Admittedly the female lead has better hair than me but I'm not too fussed- this piece is one of those magical items in my wardrobe which instantly lifts my mood and brings a smile to my face.

Saturday, March 18, 2017

Lately I've been feeling a little stuck for inspiration, but it's somewhat comforting to observe someone else's creative process and who better than Claire Barrow. Best known for her hand-painted leather jackets it's somewhat reassuring to know something like that takes about three days (since the dress I've been altering has been a month long project...)

Friday, March 17, 2017

For brides searching for dresses inspired by designs of eras past, or those drawn to classic, feminine designs firmly rooted in nostalgia, look no further than Millybridal UK. For the past thirteen years they’ve brought joy to both brides and their partners by providing a selection of understated and yet effortlessly glamorous wedding dresses. Made from luxuriously soft silks, lace and tulle each design emphasised a particular feature, whether it be the beauty of a woman’s neck or the curves of her figure and the results are absolutely stunning.

Rather unsurprisingly given my love for all things vintage, their range of Vintage Wedding Dresses
are simply divine, and something I myself would consider buying (if
there was a ring on my finger that is…) Honestly though, who can resist
the combination of intricate lacework and breathtaking silhouettes which
together create a dress exuding femininity and elegance. Equally as
beautiful are the Lace Wedding Dresses
which feature a stunning array of carefully arranged appliques dancing
across soft draped skirts. With some pieces made from soft silks and a
selection of other fabrics, some stunning gowns featuring V necks and
deep V backs strike the perfect balance between modern femininity and
sass. There could be nothing more important than feeling comfortable in
your own skin on your wedding day, and looking as beautiful as you feel
on the inside.